Shelf and supporting means therefor



y 1, 1955 J. c. HAMILTON 2,709,562

SHELF AND SUPPORTING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Nov. 5, 1952 INVENTOR.

United States P ent 'My present invention relates to shelves andsupporting means therefor.

The principal object of my invention is to produce an' improved cabinetshelf support.

Another object is to produce a cabinet shelf support to mount shelveson, which is very cheap in cost and which can be made with one machineoperation.

Another object is to produce a support of the type,

above outlined which is not only cheap and simple to manufacture, butwhich is hidden whenin use.

Still another object is to produce a shelf support which may be removedand relocated without the use of tools other than a hammer.

Other objects and novel features comprising the construction andoperation of the device will be more ap parent as the description of thesame progresses.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred form of my invention:

posite side being a duplicate thereof; Fig. 2 is an edge elevation asviewed from the pointed side of the spur;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of a segment of a cabinet with amounted shelf, the shelf support being shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental cross-section showing the shelf support inelevation, other parts being indicated in dot and-dash lines. Thisfigure shows the shelfin a pfeliminary stage of being mounted on thesupport, and

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of Fig. 4 cut back to the front surface of theshelf support which is in elevation.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, indicates one corner of acabinet as viewed from the front edge. 11 indicates one end of a shelf,as viewed from the front corner of the cabinet. I

The shelf support is indicated in' ge'neral at 12, as shown in Figs. 1,2, and 4, 5, and in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

The shelf support 12 is preferably punched, in' one operation, fromsheet metal or the equivalent, 'of approximately twelve gauge. It mightalso be a casting.

On one side of the shelf support, I have provided a wedge-like spurportion 13 which is integral with a body portion 14. The under side ofthe spur portion 13 is' provided with a horizontal edge 15 forming aright angle with .the edge 16 of the body portion 14. The; u per sideedge 17 of the spur portion 13 is pitched upwardly tangentially engaginga radial curved edge 18 which in turn tangentially engages a straightedge 19. The edge 19 is angularly disposed to the opposite-side edge 16,the lower end of which terminates at the bottom edge 20 of the shelfsupport which is at right angles to the vertical edge 16.

Each end of the cabinet shelf is provided with two or more of thesesupports 12 and in the case of a cabinet in which adjustable shelves aredesired, preformed spur holes may be located by a special gauge or othermeans. In the case of cabinets not having been prepared with prelo'catedspur holes, the shelf support-may ig. l is a front elevation of a shelfsupport, the bpbe mounted. in a new location by driving the bracket spur'13 into the wood of the cabinet wall 10 by the use of a hammer. Theshelf support 12 may be easily removed by use of the thumb andforefinger of the op- I erator when the shelf is raised and removed.

The end edges of the shelf 11 are each provided with a recess thethickness of the support 12 and having the exact contour of the curvededge 18 and the angular edge 19 'of the support 12, in the followingmanner, without the use of any tools other than a hammer.

Shelf supports 12 are mounted in the side walls 10 of a cabinet. Theshelf cut to the right width between the side walls 10 is now snuglyplaced on the radial curved tops 18 of the shelf supports 12 with theshelf back edge against the back wall of the cabinet. A short piece ofwood 21 isnow laid against the cabinet wall 10 'over the end of theshelf and a hammer 22 is used to pound down the shelf ends on thesupports 12. The corners of the support 12 cut a recess into the woodfibers pushing the fibers back and compacting them. When the shelf 11 isdown so that the bottom surface of the shelf. is flush with the bottomedge 20 of the shelf support, the operation is complete.

Fig. 4 shows the shelf 11 being driven down into place on thesupport 12.The wood fibers engaged against the edges 18 and 19 of the support 12.are pressed back and compacted and by the time the operationiscompleted, asshowninFig. 5, there an area of compressed wood fibersover the support- 12 which is very hard and solid. This compacting ofthe wood fibers greatly strengthens the wood shelfdi'rectlylabove theshelf supports 12 which is notpossible where the recess is formed bymilling out a recess for the support.

Whenthe s'helf in place it has the appearance of being permanentlymounted in the cabinet such as being glued in place or.nailed there.Nocracks between the V edges of theshelf and cabinet walls are presentand thereis no shelf-supportin sight except the bottom edge 20 which isflush with the under side of the shelf and takes careful examination tofind. The shelf can now only be moved in one direction which is upwardlyin the case of removal for new. location.

It should be observed that when the shelf 11 is mounted on the support12, the support cannot move in any direction and the load on it isvertical, therefore in order to cause a breakdown either the shelf mustbe forced downwardly forcing the support edges 18 and 19 up through thecompacted area of the wood or the shelf support must be broken ofiat'the spur 13. Neither of these results are practical with any loadusually applied to a cabinet shelf. Tests have shown that two shelfsupports 12 of the size Y shown in the drawings mounted at either end ina cabinet having a shelf eight inches Wide by three-quarter of an inchthick and three feet long will carry a distributed load of five hundredpounds without showing any signs of rupture of the ends of the shelf orthe shelf supports 12.

While I have shown the invention'in its preferred form yet'it is tobe'understood that I may vary the shape, proport-ion, angles, and curveswithin wide latitude while still remaining within the spirit of theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention in detail, what I claim as new is:

l.' in a cabinet shelfor the like having an end-carried wall-engagingsupporting membet therefor, said supporting memberco'rnprising a flat,and comparatively thin guage eleinent providing a main body portionwhich is adapted to be forcibly impaled in the stock of the shelfadjacent an end of the latter and upwardly from the bottom thereof, theplaneof said main body portion intersecting that of said shelf end, saidmember providing when the shelf is in use an outer verticalwall-engaging least one of the top and bottom edges of said shelf end,an-

integral outwardly projecting wall-engaging anchoring prong extendingfrom the wall-engaging edge of said main body portion and substantiallycoplanar with the latter, said prong having an upwardly inclined topedge extending to said main body portion adjacent the upper end of thelatter, and the main body portion of said member being narrowed in thedirection of its upper end and providing an inner edge having an upperblunt edged cam portion outwardly inclined in the direction of the upperend of said main body portion and terminating adjacent the latter; andthe upper end of said body portion providing a blunt convexly curvedshelf-entry portion connecting said inclined prong edge with said camportion whereby when the member is forced into the bottom of a fibrousmaterial shelf a load-sustaining compacting of shelf material will takeplace and longitudinal splittingadapted to be forcibly impaled in thestock of the shelfadjacent an end of the latter and upwardly from thebottom thereof, the plane of said main body portion intersecting that ofsaid shelf end, said member providing when the shelf is in use an outervertical wall-engaging edge which is substantially vertically coplanarwith at least one of the top and bottom edges of said shelf end, anintegral outwardly projecting wall-engaging anchoring prong extendingfrom the wall-engaging edge of said main body portion and substantiallycoplanar with the latter, the main body portion of said member beingnarrowed in the direction of its upper end and providing an inner edgehaving an upper blunt edged cam portion outwardly inclined toward andterminating adjacent the upper end of said main body portion, and theupper end of said main body portion providing a blunt convexly curvedfibre-compacting shelf-entry portion as a continuation of said camportion and terminating at the plane of the outer wall-engaging edge ofsaid main body portion, whereby when the member is forced into thebottom of a fibrous material shelf a load-sustaining compacting of shelfmaterial will take place and longitudinal splitting of the shelf if ofwood or the like will be prevented.

4. in a cabinet shelf or the like having an end-carried wall-engagingsupporting member therefor, said supporting member comprising a fiat,and comparatively thin guage element providing a main body portion whichis adapted to be forcibly impaled in the stock of the shelf adjacent anend of the latter and upwardly from the bottom thereof, the plane ofsaid main body portion intersecting that of said shelf end, said memberproviding when the shelf is in use an outer vertical wall-engaging edgewhich is substantially vertically coplanar with at least one of the topand bottom edges of said shelf end,

I portion to the plane of the outer edge of said main body portion.

5. In a cabinet shelf or the like having an end-carried wall-engageablesupporting member therefor, said supporting member comprising anelongated fiat-sided main ,body portion of substantially uniformthickness and which is reduced in width in the direction of its upperend, said main body portion providing an outer longitudinal edge and aninner cam-providing longitudinal edge which latter is inclined in thedirection of the upper end of said body portion, the outer longitudinaledge of said main body portion having a coplanar load-supporting prongfor engagement in a carrier wall whereby to give the prong the greatestload sustaining capacity, the length of said main body portion of thesupporting mem her being less than the thickness of said shelf, saidshelf having a main body portion-receiving slot opening upwardly fromits bottom surface and in communication with the shelf end from whichsaid prong projects, said slot having a closed upper end engaged by theupper end of said main body portion, the slot being dimensioned insubstantial conformity to said main body portion of said supportingmember, said slot providing an inclined shelf-load-transmitting innerwall bearing against the inclined cam-providing edge of said main bodyportion, the outer prong-carrying edge of the main body portion beingsubstantially flush with the shelf end whereby when the shelf isin'service to provide a carrier wall-engaging bearing surface fortransmitting shelf load thereto from said longitudinal cam edge wherebyto maintain said prongin operative position and relieve the closed upperslot end of some of the shelf load so as to avoid possibility ofsplitting of the shelf at the site of the slot.

6. A bracket-like support for cabinet shelves and the like comprising anelongated fiat sided main body portion of substantially uniformthickness and which is reduced in width in the direction of its upperend, said main body portion providing an outer longitudinal edge and aninner cam providing longitudinal edge which latter is inclined upwardlytoward the plane of the outer longitudinal edge and terminates short ofthe upper end of said main body portion, the outer longitudinal edge ofsaid main body portion having a coplanar load-supporting prong forengagement in a carrier wall whereby to give the prong the greatestload-sustaining capacity by having its greatest transverse dimensiondisposed in the direction of load, a narrowed shelf entry portion formedat the top of said main body portion and extending from substantiallythe plane of said outer edge, said shelf entry portion having an edgeinclined in the direction of and merging with said inner cam-providinglongitudinal edge, said prong having a load-supporting edge whichintersects the outer longitudinal edge of said main body portion at anangle not materially exceeding ninety degres, and the innercam-providing longitudinal edge of said main body portion and the edgeof said shelf entry portion at the upper end thereof being blunt wherebyan integral outwardly projecting wall-engaging anchoring prong extendingfrom the wall-engaging edge of said main body portion and substantiallycoplanar with the latter, said prong having an upwardly inclined topedge extending to said main body portion adjacent the upper end of thelatter and the main body portion of said member being narrowed in thedirection of its upper end and providing an inner edge having an uppercam portion inclined in the direction of the top end of said main bodyportion and terminating adjacent the latter; and the upper end of saidbody portion providing a shelf entry portion which is narrowed widthwiseof said body in the direction of its outer end and extends as acontinuation of said cam to compact shelf fibre when driven into thestock of a shelf from the lower surface of the latter.

7, The structure set forth in claim 6 and the edge of I said narrowedshelf entry portion being curved, and the plane of the load-supportingedge of said prong being substantially normal to the plane of the outerlongitudinal edge of said main body portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS892,542 McMaster July 7, 1909 1,581,658 Owens Apr. 20, 1926 2,261,078Shockey Oct. 28, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,398 Great Britain of 1908 27,043Great Britain of 1908

